Delhi St Columba’s School suicide case: Hours before death, boy warned woman - ‘Withdraw your son'

A woman who travelled with the Class 10 student shortly before he allegedly died by suicide near Rajendra Place Metro Station in Delhi has said the boy looked extremely distressed and told her that his teachers “tortured” him.

Deepshikha, who brings her child home from St Columba's School in a rickshaw every day, said the boy suddenly rushed into the rickshaw on November 18 and kept asking the driver to move quickly.

“He looked very disturbed. When I asked what happened, he told me, ‘You should withdraw your son from the school.’ He said his board exams were approaching and that the teachers tortured him a lot. He added that his parents were frequently called to school,” Deepshikha was quoted by ANI as saying.

Hours later, the 15-year-old student allegedly jumped from Platform no. 2 of the Rajendra Place Metro Station. Police said they recovered a note in which the boy accused some teachers of harassing him and urged authorities to take strict action against them.

Parents and students have been protesting outside the private school for days now. Meanwhile, Delhi education minister Ashish Sood said on Friday that the state government had constituted an inquiry committee to investigate the incident.

According to the FIR, the student went missing after school hours before he was seen at the metro station. His death has triggered serious questions about student safety, mental-health support in schools, and teacher conduct.

Responding to the growing public outcry, Delhi education minister Ashish Sood said that the government has formed an inquiry committee to look into the case.

“We have formed an investigation committee, and the school has also taken action. I say this not only as the education minister but also as a concerned parent. Soon, I will be writing to schools to ask if they are checking students’ mental health and overall well-being as required by CBSE guidelines. The government is ready to support and guide schools. We are deeply worried about our children’s mental health,” Sood said.

The school, located in central Delhi, has suspended four staff members as part of its internal inquiry.